by Unknown
"Whether you want to talk or not, you will answer my questions. Why were you in that house?" I asked, deciding if she didn’t want to tell me who she was, she might answer something else.
Her gaze met mine, until I was almost positive she could see where I stood, clear defiance burning within those clover-green eyes. Surely she realized how werewolf society operated? Most shapeshifters did because we were the most common and, by far, the force to be reckoned with. Locking eyes with an Alpha werewolf was something one didn't do. It was a challenge, a sign of dominance, and the wolf within me wouldn't allow that to go unpunished. If she didn't turn away, she'd be placing herself in more danger, far beyond what she could know.
However, her chin rose further, and she straightened her back a little more, even if I caught the slightest wince passing over her delicate facial features. She took slow, deep breaths to keep her composure.
"Answer me, feline." I lowered my voice, a rumbling growl slipping from my lips. My beast scratched at my skin, furious at the lack of respect we were being shown, eager to show this wereleopard her place.
Regardless of the beatings she’d received, she leapt to her feet and gripped the bars in her hands. "I dinnae do nothing wrong. Just let me go." Her thick accent lilted a little before she could wrestle it under control.
“If that’s the case, you’ll be willing to bloody talk to me.” I squeezed my hands into fists again, clenching and releasing them to wring out the tension stretching my patience.
She narrowed her eyes and cursed under her breath about the arrogance of werewolves. I was starting to see why Alistair had gone overboard. She had a way of bringing out the worst in people, even if that was not in her best interest.
The keys to the cage jingled as I pulled them from my pocket and held them in my fist for a brief moment, letting the threat pass between us. She seemed to consider it for a moment and retracted at first, lowering her gaze and taking on a submissive posture. The beast within me relaxed. Then, as if all reason flew from her, she returned her gaze to mine.
“What good will it do me? You’ll throw me back to that arse again to be beaten, no matter what I do.” She threw up her hands and spun around, slinking deeper into the cage.
My gaze descended lower on her body and I caught a glimpse of those long, elegant legs. She was dressed in one of the Pack’s shirts. Why would that be unless she’d torn her clothes shifting? From the bruises marring her flesh, I highly doubted that.
I didn’t understand much about this situation. If she would just talk with me, I might figure out the issue brewing below the surface. It’d be good for her if she was innocent, and my Pack could regain some normalcy.
Irritation overwhelming me, I opened the cage door and smacked it shut behind us. "You don't know who you're talking to, lass. If you want to continue breathing, then you'll answer my questions." The words were harsh, but I was tired of the verbal sparring. I wanted resolution here.
She jerked and her eyes widened a little. "Get out of here. Just leave me alone. You don’t frighten me."
"You're damn stupid, then. What do you think you're going to do here?" I couldn’t hold back the smirk curving my lips, baring my teeth at her. “You’re not in fighting condition.”
“Are you certain about that?” She shifted on her feet, sizing me up. But there was more in her eyes than just the need to survive, and they drew me into their green depths. While the full moon had been yesterday, I couldn’t help feeling drawn to her, especially with my beast still revved up. My libido ached to have a woman in my bed. Yet something about this one caught my attention more than any other. Images of her fine legs wrapped around my waist tore through my head.
Och, fuck!
Blood gathered in my cock, and I gritted my teeth, not pleased with the building erection. Perhaps Duncan knew why she was dressed like this, since I doubted she’d been wearing Pack clothes when she arrived.
I suspected Alistair might have something to do with that, and I needed to talk with the idiot sooner than later to find out what his problem was. I'd sent him over to check and see if Colin had come back yet, but I hadn't anticipated him roughing up a wereleopard and bringing her back here. If she had people of her own, we might have a political headache on our hands. One of these days Alistair’s temper was going to bring down the entire Pack, and I feared that day might have already come. Regardless, we couldn't let the wereleopard go prowling the countryside back to her kin in this battered condition.
Bringing myself back to her brisque words, I crossed my arms. “Aye, I am.” Tension built in my shoulders, but I remained still, refusing to roll my neck and bring relief to the bunched muscles.
I couldn't put a finger on what she did for me, but the longer I was here, the more I wanted to know about this mysterious wereleopard. However, it didn't look like she was going to talk. But she'd been in Colin's home, and that was pretty suspicious. My Pack members weren't particular to other shifters, and I'd known Colin for quite a while, so for him to be associated with her seemed peculiar. Perhaps she'd been hiding in his home in preparation for an attack. He had been kidnapped. She had to be connected somehow.
The wereleopard slightly shifted to the left, and I growled in warning. She'd be stupid to attack, but I knew werecats weren't fond of being locked up. She leapt at me, her movements a blur. She threw her weight behind her pounce, which wasn't much, but she possessed far more power than I'd anticipated.
Air whooshed out of my lungs and I stumbled back against the cage door. My instincts took over, and I pushed aside the discomfort. I shoved her to the cage's bars, holding her slight wrists above her head with my hands. Her soft, toned body pressed against mine with an intimacy that burned straight through me. The urgency of it was startling.
While I enjoyed female company, I typically wasn't so desperate as to go after the first woman who appeared before me half-naked, not even with the moon’s power still strong. Though I would be willing to make an exception in this case. But I wouldn't assault her. She'd been through enough with Alistair.
Her green eyes sparkled with anger. She squirmed, trying to fight my grip, but that only made things worse. Her belly brushed against my cock, making me even harder than before. Her chin rose again and her eyes widened. The sweet smell of her arousal was like a delicate perfume. While other shifters weren't as affected by the full moon as werewolves, they still felt the intense effects of its power.
"Let me go," she said, her voice huskier than it had been. She had gone very still. Her perky nipples against my chest signaled she might not want what she was saying. But I wasn't an abuser of women, wereleopard or not. Not like Alistair.
I released her but didn't give any more space. She didn't move either. Just stayed there staring up at me until everything in me wanted to grab her and shove her to the ground. Visions in my head of her lying beneath me nude and wanton consumed my thoughts. Stop it. If she wanted to get the jump on me, she had ample opportunity now, because of my extraordinary distraction. Never before had I been like this.
"Will you tell me what you were doing in my Pack member’s home?" I said, trying to get back on track. I would stay calm and pretend she was like any other Pack prisoner. However, my beast recognized her as something more, even if my brain fought against those kinds of sentiments. I couldn't go around listening to it and chasing after every fine piece of arse because it told me to.
"Your Pack? I—" she started.
The door to the basement creaked open and heavy footsteps trod down the steps. For fuck's sake. Who could that be? I shoved her aside to let myself out so I could converse with the bastard. The slightest wince of pain on her face had me cursing myself.
Once I figured out what was going on here, Alistair would be in the cage next for the damage he’d caused her. While she wasn’t a Pack member, she didn’t deserve this treatment. Not when she appeared innocent enough, if not incredibly stubborn.
I frowned at her as I locked the cage, and she backed away,
keeping her gaze a little lowered but on me, as if she wasn't quite sure what to do. I couldn't blame her. When I'd come down here to question her, I hadn't exactly anticipated any of this. Damn.
Duncan strode around the corner, still hidden in the darkness, but I could smell him. While I'd wanted to talk with Alistair, I supposed Duncan would do to give me unbiased insight I might miss if I immediately spoke to the older man. Besides, I had a feeling I'd need to hunt Alistair down.
"Don't cause any trouble, lass," I tossed over my shoulder at the wereleopard. “I’ll be back for answers.”
Duncan and I walked through the Pack’s large manor in silence. The old building had been in my lineage for hundreds of years but I’d never imaged I would be in charge. Once we reached my father’s study, I turned to Duncan, frowning at him. "What's going on?"
“Alpha,” he said, bowing his head in reverence.
My blood warmed in my veins. I was past all of that. The newness of the title had long worn off. “Just tell me, Duncan.” Traditions were fine, but this conversation needed to progress so I could get my answers from the woman... wereleopard... downstairs. The moon’s power hung heavily over me, and I needed my brain clear.
“I’m sorry for interrupting your interrogation. But it seems Alistair is missing.” Tension grated through the submissive wolf as if he expected punishment for delivering the news. While other Alphas might do that, it wasn’t my style. I wouldn’t shoot the messenger. Besides, I needed to pick Duncan’s brain about what had gone on at Colin’s between Alistair and the werecat. If he had a grudge, then she’d need to remain under supervision. Alistair was the one who would be punished. But if she had caused all of this, then I needed to know that too.
“When did he go missing?” I asked, a slow trickling growl flowing from my lips. Duncan lowered his gaze a little obviously sensing my rage. If I didn’t get myself under control, I’d let loose on someone. Taking in a few deep breaths, I rolled my shoulders and neck. “Tell me.”
“The last time I saw him was shortly after we arrived back here. He put the prisoner downstairs, then he went off to his room. Since then, I haven’t seen him. I’ve looked because I wanted to talk with him about earlier.” The muscle in Duncan’s jaw twitched, and I detected a sour scent of regret emanating from him. My interest in getting to the bottom of this rose that much further. Even though wereleopards and other shifters weren’t looked upon well within our Pack, Duncan was feeling generous toward our female prisoner too. Maybe it wasn’t even a kindness toward the wereleopard, but a disgust for Alistair’s actions. The man was a ticking bomb. If we weren’t careful, he’d explode.
“Tell me about earlier.” The need to cross my arms over my chest and portray my dominance nearly had me acting, but I knew if I wanted to keep Duncan’s words flowing freely, then I couldn’t strong-arm him into giving me what I wanted. He stumbled around and tripped over his words, even though he tried to impress and prove his usefulness. Overall, he wasn’t a strong wolf, but I had a feeling that if he wasn’t in this Pack, then he’d be an outcast or some dominant’s whipping boy.
He wouldn’t be able to survive on his own. While lone wolves weren’t uncommon in the animal kingdom, to be a lone werewolf was brutal. You lived among humans, but you weren’t like humans, and you couldn’t have the companionship of others who were like you. Most risked going mad within the first year. The ones who regained their senses were either outright brutes or born survivors. Neither had a place within a normal Pack.
Duncan blew out a breath looking uncomfortable but he glanced at me, following proper etiquette. “We were on the way to see if Colin had arrived yet, according to your orders. My girlfriend rang, so I waited in the car for a moment and finished up the call. I didn’t anticipate there would be trouble since it was supposed to be a quick visit.” He lowered his gaze to the floor. Shame slumped his shoulders. “When Alistair was gone longer than was appropriate, I headed up to the house to see what was going on. That’s when I saw them fighting. Both of them were bleeding, and the woman didn’t exactly act human, but at the time, I wasn’t sure what she was. Before I could do anything, he’d thrown her on Colin’s coffee table and was beating her senseless. She tried to fight back, but I think he wasn’t of the mind to care if she died.”
I could tell as much about that last part since, if she’d looked as rough as she did now, then I only imagined how much worse off she’d been right after the attack had taken place.
Grimacing, I held up a hand, cutting off his words, which had slowly descended into rushed rambling. “What did you do when you saw he was attacking her? Did you try to stop it?”
“Yes, my lord. I knew she wasn’t one of us from her scent, but I figured if I didn’t stop him and he killed her that we would both be held responsible for her death.” He trembled a little, but he tried his best to keep himself in check. His nervousness crept into his scent, and he lowered his gaze.
Duncan was brave for telling me all of this, especially since if he hadn’t been talking on his mobile, then things might not have escalated as they had. He’d earned himself a disciplining, but I wouldn’t make it too harsh since he’d also saved the wereleopard’s life.
“Alistair must be found before he causes more trouble. Spread the word that I’m holding an urgent Pack meeting in the great hall. I want everyone there.” Without saying another thing, I strode from the room. If I didn’t take the moment to calm myself before the meeting, I might rip out someone’s throat. My wolves didn’t deserve that. They needed a strong, stoic Alpha capable of making factual decisions, not a hot-headed prick.
* * *
The wolves gathered around the manor’s great hall. Some sat on benches and chairs, while others stood along the walls. Most of them were in attendance, but there were a few notable absences. While it was customary for the previous Alpha’s son to be chosen as the new Alpha, not many were pleased with me taking on my new role in the Pack. Granted, I was the younger son.
My older brother had gone off to one of the Nordic countries once he’d come of age, since he and my father didn’t get along well. Even with news of Father’s death, he’d wanted nothing to do with the Pack. It beyond saddened me, especially at times like this.
I hadn’t anticipated becoming Alpha, and yet most of the Pack didn’t trust me.
“The reason I’ve called you all together is that we’ve got a problem. Alistair Rattray has gone missing. He brought to us a badly beaten female wereleopard as prisoner. I suspect he’s a danger to himself and others, and I’d like to speak with him. That’s why I need the Pack to search for him.” A few men were already grumbling under their breath about the wee prince giving orders again. But I wasn’t in the mood for it. “Anyone who directly disobeys will receive stiff punishment.”
The room went quiet. I’d obviously gotten their attention.
“My laird.” One of the seated wolves stood, drawing my attention. “If he only went after a feline shifter, then why should we care?” His eyes crinkled with humor and he glanced around at some of the other Pack members.
I balled my hands into fists at my sides, trying to gain control of my beast who raged at the comment. “You should care because he could easily attack a human in the state of mind he’s in. If he were to do that, then we’d all be fucked. We already have to take extra care when we’re running as wolves. If he drew attention to what we really are, we’d never be safe again.”
The man’s smile faded and took his seat again without another word. The other wolves around were more solemn after the scolding too. Maybe they realized I wasn’t pulling this stuff out of nowhere. My priority was the Pack’s survival.
“Aye, Alpha. I’ll organize the searches.” Kerr, the second highest ranked wolf in the Pack, nodded at me. While I don’t think he liked that I was going after Alistair, I think he had enough reasoning and respect for me that he knew I wouldn’t do anything to harm our best interests.
“Thank you, Kerr.” I crossed my arms ove
r my chest, leaning against the grand chair my father and grandfather before had used as a throne. I watched as Kerr went to work, coordinating who needed to go where and forming an effective strategy for bringing Alistair in quickly and safely for all involved.
With that wolf, we needed all the preparation possible, because once he found out we were after him he’d be livid.
Chapter Three
Caitlyn
The tall, ruddy-complexioned werewolf was like none I'd ever met before. He had seemed frustrated by the fact he'd hurt me. But the feeling of his rock-hard body against mine, especially his thick erection, made my body react in ways I’d never known I could feel. It wasn’t like I had much practice in that regard, but I hated that I looked forward to him questioning me again. I'd been close to throwing myself at his feet and asking him to take me. My wereleopard who normally didn't like werewolves thoroughly enjoyed that idea.
Bloody hell.
I crossed my legs, stretching the oversized T-shirt out over my knees to make sure it fully covered my lady bits, then I leaned back against the bars. While I wanted to say he was different, how could I know that for sure? He might be the same as all the others. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was the Alpha—or at least higher up in the Pack. Perhaps he felt the need to smooth things over for fear that other wereleopards out there would rise up to defend me. Fat chance.
Sighing, I ran my hands through my hair. The quiet creak of movement on the stairs caught my attention. I jerked to my feet, not bothering to hide the pain that wrenched through me. While I wanted to believe this was Dougal, I couldn’t be sure.
Taking a deep breath, I slumped against the bars, immediate relief sagging my shoulders. Not that I thought he was harmless, but he appeared less dangerous to me than Alistair, by far. Dougal hadn’t seemed happy about what Alistair had done to me. Not that I cared for his pity; he had no idea what Alistair was capable of. Part of me toyed with the idea of filling him in, but while my body wanted him, I didn’t want to trust him.